DOVER is pursuing historic designation for Pine Hill Cemetery as city officials work toward a possible $1 million restoration of the cemetery’s Ricker Memorial Chapel.
The city-owned cemetery covers about 75 acres near Central Avenue on the edge of downtown. The chapel is not currently in use, and city officials are examining repairs that could address the building’s condition and establish a long-term use.
Designation and grant plans
Assistant City Planner Makayla Edgecomb has been involved in an application to the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. The cemetery and chapel must be considered together for the designation because they occupy a single parcel, Edgecomb said.
The city is also working with a consultant retained through a grant to evaluate options for the chapel. Christopher Parker, Dover’s deputy city manager and the city’s selected next city manager, said the evaluation will help officials determine how to stabilize the building and make it usable over the long term.
“We're looking at what would need to be done to shore up the building, making sure it is more usable long-term, and then have use in it whether it's municipal or as a chapel,” — Christopher Parker, Dover’s deputy city manager.
The city’s capital improvement program lists the chapel as a fiscal year 2029 funded project with an estimated cost of $1 million. The work identified in the program includes repairs to the slate roof and other parts of the building, along with an assessment by a structural engineer. The bell tower would also be reviewed.
Building has had limited use
Parker said the chapel has effectively been unused since 2020, when the city built its Facilities, Grounds and Cemetery headquarters at the edge of Pine Hill Cemetery. Before that construction, the chapel and another building were used for those municipal operations.
Some money is already included in the capital improvement program for immediate work intended to keep the building protected from the elements, Parker said. The city plans to use the consultant’s assessment while seeking grants for the broader restoration.
- Property: Pine Hill Cemetery is a city-owned, 75-acre cemetery in Dover.
- Estimated project cost: The capital improvement program projects $1 million for the chapel work.
- Planned review: The project includes a structural assessment, including the bell tower, and repairs to the slate roof.
Mayor Dennis Shanahan said the chapel needs “dire need of attention.” John Storer, the city’s director of community services, identified the project as part of the city’s capital improvement planning.
The city has not settled on a specific future use for the building. Parker said possible use could be municipal or as a chapel, while officials continue to review the consultant’s recommendations and pursue grant opportunities.
